Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma may have the legal grounds to file a compensation settlement claim through an asbestos cancer lawsuit.
Mesothelioma, or lung cancer, occurs when the delicate membrane called mesothelium, a thin lining that covers some organs of the body including the lungs and the heart, becomes malignant. When the cells of this membrane start to abnormally divide and grow, adjacent tissues and organs are damaged which may result in this deadly form of cancer.
Although, mesothelioma is considered to be among the rarer forms of cancer, about 2,000 patients annually are diagnosed with this condition according to the National Cancer Institute. More men than women are diagnosed with this asbestos-induced disease. The risks of developing mesothelioma increases as an individual ages. Both men and women who have inhaled asbestos particles in their work or living environment are among the highest risk group of developing this form of cancer.
As many as four out of five individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma have some history of exposure to asbestos. Many of them had exposure during service in the U.S. military thirty or forty years ago. Because the full dangers of asbestos exposure were not acknowledged by the government until the 1970s, asbestos was freely used in a large variety of products including flooring, insulation, roofing, brake lining and a wide array of industrial items.
Individuals who were diagnosed with a health condition that can be linked back to asbestos exposure, might have sufficient legal grounds to explore options of litigation in order to seek monetary compensation for their personal injuries through an asbestos cancer lawsuit. It is advisable to contact a reputable mesothelioma lawyer immediately after the diagnosis is conclusive, as the statue of limitations only allows for a restricted amount of time in which a claimant has to file his asbestos cancer lawsuit claim.
Frequently the symptoms of mesothelioma don't reveal themselves until decades after a person has inhaled asbestos dust. Difficulty with regular breathing, shortness of breath after even mild physical exertion and chest pain due to fluid build-up in the mesothelium, are the main warning signs of mesothelioma. Additional symptoms include distension and pain in the abdomen as well as fever.
The treatment of mesothelioma depends upon how advanced the abnormal cell growth has gotten and if the cancer has spread to other areas such as the lymph nodes. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery are among the top three treatment options and a number of new methods are currently undergoing clinical trials.
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